Although this flu ravaging our household has been completely miserable, there is one good thing that has come of it. It has helped me become extremely interested in our overall health, and how the foods we eat affect our bodies. It is fascinating!

After spending some time reading up on sugar and whole foods, I am learning the most detrimental thing to my health is in fact in almost all packaged food. If it is not grown or living at one time, it contains added sugar. And LOTS of it!

One of the most startling facts is that the average American consumes almost 1/3 lb of sugar a day, 20 teaspoons of added sugar. This does not include the natural sugars that is in fruit, milk, and vegetables. That is around 135 lbs a year! Considering a can of pepsi has 10 teaspoons of sugar, this is not hard to fathom! This is up from the 1800’s where the average was 5 lbs a YEAR. With the increased consumption has also come an increase in virtually every disease you can think of including cancer, heart disease, diabetes, depression, allegies, obesity, and so on. Coincidence? Hmmm….

One of the most interesting things I have learned so far is how sugar affects our moods and clarity of thought. I have always known that a person can have a “sugar high”, but the book Little Sugar Addicts by Kathleen DesMaisons explains how much we as a society are literally addicted to sugar. Our children especially become addicted to not only candy, but when almost every meal contains processed sugar (think kids yogurt, cereal, crackers, chips, dips, dressings, ketchup, pasta, bread, juice, peanut butter, chicken nuggets, canned fruit, canned veggies, not to mention the obvious like fruit snacks, ice cream, cookies, and baked goods), they become physically dependent on it. She proposes that most tantrums, crankiness, moodiness, destructive, and out of control behaviors can be linked to sugar dependancy. She also says that as a child begins to adopt a sugar free diet of natural, whole foods, the child becomes more focused, less irritable, happier, and ultimately more cooperative.

I’m sure most of us have experienced a blood sugar drop. The thing I never knew before is that it is not normal! Only when our diet is high in refined sugars does a drop like that occur. And what makes me feel better when that happens… you guessed it: sugar! Thus the cycle begins.

Not only am I excited about slowly cutting out the majority of sugars our family consumes, but also adding wholesome foods to our diet. I can’t wait to see the results in energy, mood, and overall health. With the hubs working so much, I feel incredibly responsible to make sure what we eat at home is building up his body, and not depleting him of the focus and energy he needs to be able to provide for our family. In addition, I am hoping to start my kids on a nutritious lifestyle while they are young.

It is kind of ironic to me that I am learning about this right before the biggest sugar filled day of the year. But I do subscribe to the philosophy “all things in moderation,” so yes, my family will be participating. 🙂

Besides, a true lifestyle change does not happen overnight, and definitely does not happen when you feel you are being deprived.

I would love to hear any feedback, ideas, recipes, or information you would like to add! I will be keeping you all updated on our progress!

My aunt visited last weekend and she clued me in on a very yummy and unhealthy snack: Homemade Caramel Corn!

OH MY GOODNESS!

I didn’t realize it was this good, or this easy! My mother-in-law has made it for us many times, and I thought it was one of those things that took hours and years of experience to perfect!

Umm, No. Try 15 minutes and a microwave. Seriously.

Here is the recipe:

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Homemade Caramel Corn

2 bags microwaveable popcorn popped (any flavor will do)

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter (1 stick)

1/4 cup Karo

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 cup peanuts (optional)

cooking spray

Preheat oven to 375. Pop the popcorn and set aside. In microwavable bowl, combine the brown sugar, butter, Karo, and salt. Microwave for 1 minute. Stir. Microwave for another minute. Stir in baking soda. Put popcorn and peanuts in large bowl and drizzle caramel over top. Mix gently with a spoon until all pieces are well coated.

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You could stop right there and eat if you want. However my mom suggested we bake it for a few minutes to harden up the caramel. We did and it turned out perfect! So here are the rest of the directions:

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Spray non-stick cookie sheet with cooking spray. Spread popcorn in a thin layer on cookie sheet (may need two). Bake for around 5 minutes-DO NOT LET BURN! Remove from oven, and gently run a spatula under popcorn to loosen from cookie sheet. Let cool and enjoy immensely!

I might have made this three times in a week and a half…. I can’t quite remember 😉 It really is that ridiculous!

If you have a popcorn popper, that would be even better to use than microwave popcorn. The unpopped kernels are not fun to bite down on.